33 And he put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the wood. And he said, “Fill four jars with water and pour it on the burnt offering and on the wood.” 34 And he said, “Do it a second time.” And they did it a second time. And he said, “Do it a third time.” And they did it a third time. 35 And the water ran around the altar and filled the trench also with water. ~ 1 Kings 18:33-35
The sacrifice Elijah offered was soaking wet. The trench surrounding the altar was filled with water, yet God was still able to burn up Elijah’s sacrifice when he called on Him. Today so many of us, Christians, have become so watered down because we’re spiritually asleep. Our hearts have grown cold. We’re so far from the plan the LORD has for us it seems impossible to return to Him. We’ve run so far from His presence that we feel like He wouldn’t even hear us if we called His name, but the LORD desires that none perish. Instead, He desires that all come to acceptance.
The LORD promised that if we seek Him, we will find Him. Jesus already did the heavy lifting. He died for all of your sins. All that you have to do is call on His name. For all who call on His name shall be saved.
There’s nothing too hard for the LORD. Just as God burned up the soaked offering as Elijah called upon Him, so will He burn up your soaked offering and light that flame within you. There’s nothing too hard for God. He loves you and is waiting for His prodigal child to come home.
10 Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.” 12 But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.” 13 And he said, “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.” ~ Isaiah 7:10–14
It was because of Ahaz’s rebellion, and blatant disbelief is why he would not ask for a sign. He was putting his hope and trust in idols, not in the Living God. So, he refused to commit himself to God by asking for a sign because if he did, then he would have been obligated to trust God. So, God responded by saying that He Himself would give a sign by sending a deliverer to not only save Israel but to save everyone who will believe, whomsoever will…
Jesus came to be the way for everyone from every nation, every tribe, and every tongue. No one is left out or excluded or disqualified from the plan of salvation. Whomsoever will, can come and receive through faith the free gift of salvation.
That prophecy came to pass over 700 years after it was made in the God-man Jesus Christ. The promise of Revelation 21 was given to us over 2,000 years ago. And not one of God’s good promises has ever failed and this one will not either.
So, prepare yourself and your household. Jesus is coming back. Make no mistake, He will come back to get us so that where He is, there we will be also. And we will be with Him forever and ever. This is our promise from the LORD God Himself. Don’t allow the world with its false gods and idols to convince you to place your hope and trust in someone or something else. The LORD is coming back, and He is coming back soon.
17The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; ~ Psalms 34:17-19
Every 40 seconds, someone dies from suicide (World Health Organization statistic). Many of these are bible-believing Christians who couldn’t find hope in this world and thought it would be better if they were dead. So many believe that the only way they will ever find peace is if they take their own lives. As a Church, we have failed to address this and find a way to help those who struggle with anxiety, depression, and suicide. Suicide is a worldwide problem. There could be a number of reasons why someone commits suicide, but we believe they all stem from one root: self-hatred.
Self-hatred can be planted because of the loss of a job, leading to hopelessness or feeling useless or worthless. It can also be because of traumatic experiences, leaving one to feel worthless, disgusting, or all alone. Such as bullying, rape, sexual abuse, physical abuse, mental or emotional abuse, and much more life-altering events such as divorce, death of a loved one, and loss of a job that leave a person feeling as if suicide is the only way to find peace. But is that the truth?
I believe that the Scripture is plain in explaining that suicide doesn’t save the person from their pain, nor does ease that pain. Instead, it adds to it, for if our bodies are not our own, then how can we commit suicide and it be counted as anything other than murder? I don’t say that to discourage, hurt, or cause anyone pain. I say this in hopes that you may have hope, for there is no hope in believing a lie, but in believing the Truth, there is nothing but hope. God has promised that if His people turn from their sin and cry out to Him, then He will not only forgive their sins but comfort them and give them peace. God promises that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can withstand. And if Christ has overcome all, that has to include suicidal thoughts, depression, and anxiety.
Verses of Encouragement and Hope
Here are a few verses to quote when you are being mentally attacked by the spirit of suicide, depression, or anxiety, for you can overcome anything and everything through Jesus Christ. You can overcome. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. Keep fighting.
17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. 19The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;
Psalms 34:17-19
13 For You formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.
Psalms 139:13-14
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for [good] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I [Jesus] leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.
John 14:26-27
33 I [Jesus] have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
13 I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
2 Peter 5:6-7
If you need immediate help, call the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, for free, confidential help. Click here for a list of crisis centers around the world provided by the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Burden of Disease study estimate that almost 800,000 people die from suicide every year. That’s one person every 40 seconds. This statistic alone should make every person’s eyes open to the real pandemic overtaking our nation, suicide. Suicide has been downplayed more and more in our culture by calling it a beautiful tragedy or saying that the person is finally at peace. We even go as far as to rename suicide and defend that that person is now given the chance to die with dignity. Our culture is shifting further and further to the acceptance of suicide as a cultural norm, but what does God say? Does God have an opinion on suicide? Does the Bible talk about suicide? Is suicide a sin? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he brings awareness to the heartbreaking subject in his somber message, Suicide, A Real Pandemic.
Deuteronomy 30:19 Acts 3:13–15 Judges 9:52–54 Judges 16:29–30 1 Samuel 31:3-6 2 Samuel 17:23 1 Kings 16:18-19 Matthew 27:3-5 Job 1:6 Job 2:9–10 Job 3:1–12 John 10:10 (NKJV) Romans 6:16 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 1 Corinthians 6:20b
Suicide, A Real Pandemic
Suicide Statistics
The reason suicide is a real pandemic, is because suicide is increasing in our society today, especially in our younger generation.
Data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics shows that suicide rates in youth aged 10-24 have increased by 57% between 2007 and 2018. This is a rise from 7 in every 100,000 people to 11. The U.S suicide rate within all age groups was 14 people in every 100,000 in 2018. More than a quarter of young adults reported seriously considering suicide in the last 30 days.
Suicide is a real pandemic, according to the CDC. As if these stats weren’t enough, the CDC stated:
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the US. Suicide rates increased in nearly every state from 1999 through 2016. Mental health conditions are often seen as the cause of suicide, but suicide is rarely caused by any single factor. In fact, many people who die by suicide are not known to have a diagnosed mental health condition at the time of death.
3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.
1 Samuel 31:3-6
23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.
2 Samuel 17:23
3 Then when Judas, His betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.
We, here at HoldToHope, believe that suicide is a spirit, as we believe every sin has a spirit behind it. 1 John 4:1 tells us,
4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
We believe that it is a Spirit of Suicide that plants the seed that someone is worthless, hopeless, doomed, or disgusting in their head. Therefore, finding relief would begin in the mind. It all starts with changing your thoughts. But how do you do that? You have to make a conscious decision to change your thoughts. Then you fill your mind with scripture to tell you the truth that you are not worthless. That you are loved. You are beautiful. You are wanted. You are not disgusting. You are a Child of God. Don’t fall prey to this pandemic of suicide
Verses For Suicide Prevention
Don’t be another statistic in this growing pandemic of suicide. Allow Jesus, the Word of God, to fill you and heal you inside and out. May the LORD mend your broken heart and heal your wounds as you read these verses. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Verses For Depression
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalms 34:18
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation 6 and my God.
Psalms 42:5-6a
8 By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.
Psalms 42:8-11
Verses For Anxiety
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
5 Let your reasonableness [gentleness, your trust in God] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand [the LORD is with you]; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:5-7
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God [bow down and worship God, spend time with Him] so that at the proper time He may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
25 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:25-34
Verses For Self-Hate
1 But now thus says the Lord, He who created you, O [insert name], He who formed you, O [insert name]: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:1-3a
16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.
John 3:16-17
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God.
Romans 5:8
Verses For Hopelessness
37 For nothing will be impossible with God.
Luke 1:36
27 But He said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Luke 18:27
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through Him [Christ Jesus] who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:12-13
Verses For Feeling Alone (Loneliness)
20 We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21 In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. 22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in You.
Psalms 33:20-22
13 I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
Jesus is famous for saying that the Truth will set you free (John 8:32). So, here’s the Truth. Suicide is a real pandemic. Suicide is a sin that leads to eternal death. Suicide is a lying spirit. Anyone can overcome the Spirit of Suicide through the redeeming blood of Jesus. No weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17), if you put your faith in Christ and build a relationship with Him, through His Holy Spirit.
If you’d like peace, say this prayer with all of your heart and believe it with everything in you, regardless of what you see with your eyes or feel within you at this moment.
Dear Jesus,
Please forgive me for any sins that I have committed knowingly and unknowingly. Please redeem me by Your blood that was shed on the cross for my freedom. I accept Your forgiveness, and I declare You as LORD and Savior of my life. Thank You for Your forgiveness. By Your stripes, I have been healed. The chastisement that brought me peace, was upon You. Thank You for Your healing. Thank You for Your peace that passes all understanding that You have given to me, LORD Jesus. Please help me to remember every day that You, LORD Jesus, love me and have a plan for me. Help me to remember that I am not worthless nor was I created by accident. I am divinely designed by You, the creator of all things. Please fill me with Your presence so that You never seem far away.
